Stacking device



July 14, 1959 c. w. MussETT 2,894,648

STACKING DEVICE Filed April l1, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l (Zeef/vee' h( asser-r,-

ATTGRNEYS.

July 14, 1959 c. wQMussETT 2,894,648

STACKING DEVICE Filed April ll, 1957 2 Sheets-Shea* 2 I P l 'E /4 INVENIUR.

RTTORNEYS.

United States Patent O Y STACKING DEVICE Clarence W. Mussett, Paris, Ky.

Application April 11, 1957, Serial No. 652,193

7 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) My invention relates to stacking devices such as employed for stacking or pilingy bags of cement, boxes or other parcels of break resistant character upon a pallet or platform.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a stacking device embracing a simple but eiective arrangement of parts, this being primarilyadvantageous in that economies of construction are elected.

Another object of my invention is to provide a stacking device 'wherein movements of the parts are induced only by gravitational torce, this being advantageous in that economies of operation are eiected.

Another object of my inventionV is to provide a stacking device as above set forth embracing a novel, vertically movable parcel bearing member which is adapted, at an elevated position, to receive a parcel and which is actuable by discharge means at a lower position to discharge and to deposit the parcel onto a pallet or stack, thisy arrangement permitting space saving and other advantageous adaptations of the device.

A further object of my invention is -to provide a stacking device as above set forth andA wherein the discharge means effecting deposit of each parcel onto the stack 'is intermittently elevated or repositioned upwardly in in- Icrements comparable to the increased height of the stack as each parcel is added thereto, this being advantageous in that discharge of each succeeding parcel 'occurs in like relation to the top of the stack and hereby each parcel is subjected to like stresses during the stacking procedure.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel means whereby gravitational force is employed to induce the upward repositioning of the discharge means.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide novel control means effecting intermittent repositioning of the discharge means in upward increments comparable to the growing .height of the stack as each parcel is deposited thereon.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication, and in which like numerals areemployed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View, with partsY broken away, showing an exemplary embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3 3v of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a similar view taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 2, the view being on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken from the left of Figure 1 or, as indicated by the line 5-5 thereon.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

'2,894,648 Patented July 14, 1959 ice Figure 7 is an enlarged side elevational View, with parts broken away and with certain parts in section, illustrating details of a control mechanism.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but with the parts in an alternate position.

Figure 9 is a detailed horizontal sectional view taken along the line '9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure- 10 is a detailed sectional view taken along the line 10--10 of Figure 9, and

Figure l1 is a perspective view illustrating the control lever.

Briefly and in general an exemplary embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the drawings comprises an upright frame-or guideway A within which a carriage or cab B is arranged for vertical movements, the cab being urged to an elevated position by means of a counter- Weight C. A parcel bearing member comprising a tilting tray D or parcel :carrier is pivotally mounted between the sidewalls of the cab and is adapted to receive a parcel E atthe elevated position of the parts as shown. The stability of the system is such that the added weight of a parcel introduced into the tray dominates the counterweight C and the cab with parcel' E carried in the tiltable tray moves downwardly, the counterweight thus being lifted to an elevated position gains potential energy for later returning the cab to itsupper position. As the downwardly moving cab approaches the lower limit of its movement as indicated at F, the tray is engaged by an actuating element G which effects sudden forward tilting of the tray as indicated at H. The momentum thus imparted to the parcelV causes it to be ejected from the tray as indicated at l whereupon it is deposited as at I upon the stack K or upon an empty pallet or other receiving means. As the parcelis ejected from the tray a cab abutment element L halts downward movement of the cab which, having beenrelieved of its cargo, starts to move upwardly by virtue of the counterweight C.

The tray actuating element G and the cab abutment L are mounted on a block M slidably arranged in a guideway N and urged upwardly by means of a counterweight O connected by a cable P to the block. Upward movement of the block, however is restrained by reason of braking means Q (Figure 5) engaging the cable P and adapted, upon actuation of a control lever R, to permit passa-ge of a predetermined length of the cable to thus A eiect measured upward repositioning of the elements G and L, the counterweight O coacting in the operation.

As the cab B moves upward a cam element S, mountedfon the cab,r actuates the control lever R which, as just above described, releases the brake means whereby the elementsG and L are upwardly repositioned in readiness for the succeeding stacking operation.

' Proceeding now in more detailed manner and with referenceA to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the frame or guideway A is formed by vertical corner elements 15, 16, 17, and 18, which may be [held in suitable spaced relation in various manners or, as shown, by means of cross members generally indicated at 19 at'the base and at 20 at the top of the structure.

The cab B `comprises a bottom member 21 joined by sidewall panels 22 and 23 which in turn are atliXed to a top member 24 mounting an eyebolt 25. For the purpose of. clearance with the actuating element G the bottom member has a cut-out portion 21a while the top member 24, as best indicated in Figure-2, terminates-as at 24a to permit loading of parcels into the tray D aswill later be further described.

Extending between the sidewalls 22 and 23 of the cab a rod 26 provides pivoted mounting for the tray D which comprises a bottom panel 27- and sidewall panels 28 and 29, Vincluding an end wall 30 mounting bearing elements 31 and 32 by means of which the tray is pivotally aixed to the rod, short tubular spacing elements 33 and 34 being employed to position the tray in operative relation between the sidewalls of the cab.

As best illustrated in Figure 2 the mounting of the tray is such that it normally tilts about the rod 26 to rest in the rearwardly inclined position shown, suitable stop members, such as the member 35, being aflixed to the sidewalls of the cab to limit this rearward tilting while forward tilting, as occurs during ejection of a parcel, is limited by an abutment comprising a cross member 36 extending between the sidewalls of, and adjacent to the top panel of the cab. Fixed to the bottom panel of the tray a triangular element 37 provides a Cam surface 37a which coacts with the actuating element 6 to effect forward tilting of the tray as above described.

At the top of the frame a cross member 33 mounts pulleys 39 and it? which serve to guide a cable 4l, which at one end is af'rixed to the eyebolt 25 comprising the cab, and at its other end is axed to the counterweight C. From previous description it will readily be apparent that the amount of the weight C is such as to over-balance the weight of the cab B including the tray D, but is dominable by reason of the added weight of a parcel received in the tray whereby the cab moves downwardly to a parcel discharging position as determined by vertical location of the actuating element G, and the stop element L, hereinabove mentioned and which are repositioned upwardly during each cycle of the upward return movements of the cab.

The actuating element G comprises a rubber tired roller mounted in a bracket 4?. which is aixed to the block M as by bolts or screws 43 while the stop element L has an upwardly bent portion 44 providing an adjustment slot d through which bolts or screws 46 extend to clamp the element securely to the block, the block having a plate ff-7 affixed by screws 418 and having angle elements 49 and 5@ held by bolts 5l to effect a slidable engagement with the upright members 52 and 53 comprising the guideway N.

At its upper end the block M mounts an eyebolt 54 to which is aflixed one end of the cable P, which cable extends over guide pulleys 50 and Si and, continuing now with reference to Figures 5 and 6, pulley 52 and a a pulley 53 which pulley 53 comprises the braking mechanism Q, arranged within a housing 54 and serving to inhibit movement, or to permit movement in measured increments, of the cable P. After passing over the pulley 53 the other end of the cable is affixed to the counterweight O which, as also previously disclosed, coacts with the cable P to reposition the block M, and elements G and L, upwardly as required.

With reference now to Figures 7, 8 and 9, the pulley 53 comprising the cable braking and control mechanism is fixedly mounted by means of a key 57 to the hub 58 of a cam wheel 59 (Figure l0) the cam 59 as herein shown having diametrically opposed notches 59a comprising shoulder portions 59b and inclined portions 59C joined by radially arcuate portions 59d. The cam 59 is rotatably arranged on a pin 60 fixed in the housing 54 which in turn is afxed as by screws 6l to a panel 62 extending between the upright frame members and i6.

A brake lever 63 which, as clearly shown in Figure ll is of generally U-shaped cross sectional contour, has arms 64 and 65 which are perforated at 66 and 67 for pivotal mounting upon a pin 63 xed in the housing 54. A locking element comprising a stout pin 69 is securely aflixed as by welding 70 to the arm 64 and also serves as a cam follower by riding on the arcuate portions 59d of the cam and holding the brake lever in non-locking position until an inclined portion 59C allows the pin 68 to move in to become engaged with a shoulder 59]), the brake lever being urged to locking position by a spring as will presently be described. A pin 7i is mounted in slots 72 and 73 formed in the arms of the brake lever.

By reason of its pivoted mounting 68 the brake lever 63 is adapted to rock from the braking position of Figure 7 to the non-braking position of Figure 8. In the locking position (Figure 7) the locking pin 69 engages the shouldered portion 59]: of the cam thus inhibiting clockwise rotation of the cam and of the pulley 53 while the pin 7l presses the cable P into firm frictional engagement wit/hin the groove of the pulley 53, the mechanism thus locking the cable from movement. In Figure 8 the brake lever has been rocked to non-locking position and it will be apparent that the locking pin 69 has been removed from locking engagement with the shoulder 59b and the pin 7l retracted from engagement with the cable thus allowing rotation of the pulley and lineal movement of the cable, whereby the counterweight O, acting through cable P, moves the block M upward to reposition the elements G and L, the upward movement being halted as the pin 68 moves into engagement with a shoulder 59h of the cam as above described.

As perhaps best illustrated in Figure 5 and for actuating purposes involving rocking of the brake lever 63, the lever is provided with a lug 74 having pivotal attachment 75 to a link 76 which in turn is pivotally connected at 77 to the lower end 78 of the actuating lever R which is pivotally mounted at 79 to the panel 62, a tension spring 80 engaging the lever R as shown urges the parts 78, 76 and 63 to the locking position.

A pull cord 8l running over a guide pulley 82 is connected to the upper end of the lever R as at 83, the other end of the pull cord being arranged conveniently accessible to an attendant may thus, if desired, be employed for manually shifting the parts including the brake lever 63 to non-locking position.

However, and for the purpose of automatic actuation of the braking and cable control mechanism, the extreme upper end of the actuating lever R (Figure 6) mounts a roller 34 extending inwardly toward the path of movement of the cab B. Mounted on the top panel 24 of the cab a block comprises a horizontally disposed surface 86 and an inclined surface 87. Fixed to the surface 86 as by screws 88 is a hinge element 89, its coacting hinge element 90 being urged by a spring 91 to an inclined position as dened by the surface 87 of the block, the hinge element 90 being positioned to engage the roller 84 during vertical movements of the cab.

It will now be clear that as the cab moves downward by reason of a parcel the hinge element 90 striking the roller 8d will merely be lifted upward, against tension of the spring 91, to the position 90a as indicated in broken lines.

However, after discharge of the parcel and as the cab returns upwardly, the hinge element 90, resting on the inclined surface of the block, will upon striking the roller 84, effect a cam action to momentarily rock the lever R and by reason of the link 76 to also rock the brake and cable control lever 63 to the non-locking position thus initiating upward repositioning of the tray actuating element G and the cab stop element L. Instantly upon disengagement of the roller 84 the spring 80 urges the parts to locking position which as above described occurs subsequent to predetermined upward repositioning of the elements G and L.

With respect to the cable control mechanism as above described it will now be clear that in the arrangement described one half revolution of the pulley 53 will be permitted each time the brake and cable control lever 63 is rocked to lift the stop pin 69 from locking engagement with the cam. Thus, assuming the pulley employed to be of eight niches pitch circumference the cable will be permitted to advance through four inches of lineal movement with each actuation of the mechanism. It will be obvious that, by varying the size of the pulley and by varying the number of equally spaced notches formed in the cam, lineal movement of the cable may readily be predetermined and suitable pulleys and cams be substituted in lieu of those described to effect lineal movement of the cablel in diverse increments Ias may' be desired. y v

From the foregoing it willV now be obvious that uprward repositioning of the elements G and L is automatically accomplished with ygravitational forces being employed to induce movement lof theparts and also that by design of the cable control mechanism the upward increments of movement may be predetermined as desired.

The parcels E may comprise bags of cement, boxes or other articles of break resistant character `and may, if desired, be manuallyl loaded into the parcel bearing tray or, as indicated in Figure 2, may be introduced into the tray by means of a suitable conveyor 92 powered by an electric motor 9'3A and including `a suitable delivery chute 94 arranged to direct vthe parcels into the tray.

In conjunction with loading of the parcels into the tray a vertically slidable door 95 arranged within a suitable guideway 96 has an abutment element 97 engaged by the cab to lift the door upward to its open position shown as the cab arrives at its fully upward and parcel receiving position. Upon downward movement of the cab, the door descends `to a closed position as indicated by the broken lines 95a whereby subsequently incoming parcels El are restrained from entry into the open guideway until the cab again returns to its upward parcel receiving position.

With an understanding of the l,foregoing description it will now `also be clear Ithat as stacking of the parcels proceeds, the block M is intermittently moved upward until at the full height of the stack an upward extension 98 carried on the block shifts a switch actuating lever 99 which functions to open the power supply circuit to the motor 93 thus stopping movement of the conveyor 92 and halting movement of incoming parcels until an attendant removes the completed stack and supplies an empty pallet 100, or other suitable means for receiving a stack of parcels. Thereupon by means of the pull cord 81 the attendant may release the braking means Q and manually lower the block M to its starting position at the base of -guideway N, whereafter by use of the pull cord 101 the switch lever 99 may be shifted 'to closed position restarting .the motor 93 and the conveyor 92 whereupon stacking of parcels upon the new pallet 100 proceeds.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 4 the speed of the vertical movements of the cab B may be controlled by means of spring pressed buier strips arranged to frictionally engage the cab and to retard movements thereof. As herein shown, buffer strips generally indicated at 102 are retained in operative relation by means of studs 103I extending through perforation 10'4 in the vertical corner members of the frame and through perforations 105 in bracket elements 106 which are -aiiixed .to the frame. Compression springs 107 are positioned between the strips 102 and the brackets 106 as shown, to urge the buffer strips into engagement with the cab while nuts 108 threadably received on the outer ends of the studs serve yto limit inward movement of the strips. It will be obvious that similar buler strips (not shown) may be employed in conjunction with the parcel discharging position of the cab or in other man-ners without departing from the scope of the -appended claims.

As indicated in Figure 2, side guide members 109 such as illustrated by the broken lines may, if desired, be employed on opposite sides of the stack K to assure proper positioning of each parcel as it is deposited onto the stack.

It is to be understood that the arrangement of parts herewith shown and described, is to be taken as an exemplary embodiment of my invention, and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may readily be restorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described'. my inventions, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isi l. In: al stacking devicev an upward extending guideway, a carriage arranged for vertical movements therein, resilient means comprising a counterweight operatively arranged to urge said vcarriage upwardly, a parcel receptacle tiltably arranged within: saidl carriage, said. parcel receptacle having anl inclined surface, an actuating element adapted for coaction with the inclined surface of said parcel receptacle wherebysaidv parcel receptacle will be tilted, as'topl elementY arranged in the downward path of movementl of' the said carriage, ani abutment mounting memb'er adapted tor beupwardly repositioned and mounting saidlactuating element and said stop element, a suspended weight suitable` for lifting said abutment mounting member upward, an element operatively connecting said weight and. said"abutmentmounting member, restraining means actuable to inhibit movement of said abutment mounting member and releasing means operative to deactuate said restraining means.

2. A device defined in claim 1 wherein said abutment mounting member comprises a block slidably arranged in a vertical guideway.

3. A device as defined in claim l wherein said element operatively connecting said suspended weight and said abutment mounting member comprises a cable.

4. In a stacking device comprising a vertical guideway having a cab arranged for movements therein; a parcel receiving platform tiltably arranged in said cab, an abutment arranged near the lower limits of said guideway and engageable to eifect tilting of said platform, vertical guide means mounting said abutment, a counterweight, a cable operative over a guide `pulley and connecting said counterweight and said abutment, a cam mounted adjacent and xed to rotate with said guide pulley, said cam comprising a notched abutment engageable to inhibit rotation of said pulley, a brake lever pivotally arranged for rocking movement and mounted adjacent said guide pulley, a stop pin iixedly mounted in said brake lever and normally engaging said notched abutment comprising said cam, resilient means operatively connected to and serving to rock said brake lever to braking position whereby said stop pin is urged into engagement with said notched abutment, and means actuated and effective during movement of said cab to momentarily rock said brake lever to a releasing position whereby said stop pin is momentarily retracted from engagement with said notched abutment and a predetermined length of cable dispensed, said resilient means eiecting return of said stop pin to engagement with said notched abutment.

5. A device as deiined in claim 4 wherein said brake lever includes a brake element normally engaging and restraining movement of said cable.

6. In a stacking device, a vertical guideway, a cab arranged for movements therein, resilient means urging said cab to an elevated position, a parcel receiving tray tiltably arranged in said cab, a tray tilting element arranged near the lower end of said guideway, vertical guide means mounting said tray tilting element, a counterweight, a cable operable over a guide pulley and connecting said counterweight and said tray tilting element, said guide pulley including a notched abutment, a pivoted brake member having a brake element normally engaging said cable, a pin mounted in said pivoted brake member and normally engaging said notched abutment, a brake releasing lever pivotally mounted on said guideway and having a stud extending into said guideway, a link operably connecting said brake releasing lever and said pivoted brake member, and an element carried by said cab and extending therefrom to engage said stud as said cab moves vertically, said element extending from said cab and said stud comprising a yieldable mounting whereby actuation of said brake releasing lever is elected in response only to one direction of movement of said cab.

7. In a stacking device comprising a counterweighted cab arranged for vertical movements in an upwardly eX- tending guideway, an inclined parcel receiving platform tiltably mounted adjacent the lower end of said cab and comprising an inclined surface engageable to tilt said platform and eject a parcel therefrom, an actuating element arranged near the lower end of said guideway and coacting with said inclined surface during downward movement of said cab to tilt said platform, a block mounting said actuating element and including an abutment serving to terminate downward movement of said cab, said block being repositionally arranged in vertical guide means, resilient means comprising a counterweighted cable operating over a pulley and urging said block to an upward position, said pulley comprising an abutment engageable to restrain movement of said pulley, braking means comprising a brake lever having a brake element normally engaging said cable and having a pin normally engaging said abutment comprising said pulley, brake releasing means comprising a lever operatively connected to said brake lever and mounting an extending element engageable to rock said lever and said brake lever whereby said brake element and said pin will be retracted from normal engagement respectively with said cable and said abutment comprising said pulley, and means comprising an inclined surface coacting with said extending element and vertical movement of said cab to actuate said brake releasing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

